petersen



MANDREL Svend A. Petersen, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Celanese Corporation of America, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application February 4, 1953, Serial No. 335,012.

4 Claims. (Cl. 242-72) This invention relates to machines for winding yarn into package form, and relates more particularly to mandrels employed in yarn windingmachines on which tubular yarn package supportsare mounted for rota.- tion therewith.

In the winding of yarns on tubular yarn, package supports, or tubes, it is customary to employ a mandrel mounted for rotation and provided with means for gripping the tube. The tube, which is generally made of paper, is placed on the mandrel and the gripping means are moved into engagement with the tube to hold it firmly on the mandrel. the tube is rotated to wind yarn thereon by placing a driven rotating roller into contact with the outside of the tube and with layers of yarn wound on the tube. When the winding operation is completed, the driven roller is moved away from the wound tube and the rotation of the tube and mandrel is stopped. The wound tube is then unloaded from the mandrel by releasing the gripping means from contact with the tube and then removing the tube from the mandrel. The mandrels used in the prior art have been ditficult to load and unload and have necessitated many time-consuming operations on the part of the operator in placing the tube on the mandrel, elfecting the engagement of the gripping means with the tube, releasing the grippingmeans andremoving the tube.

It is an object of this invention to. provide a new and improved mandrel for, yarn package supports. which will be free from the foregoing and other difficulties.

A further object of this invention is. the provision nited States. Patent After this loading operation,

of a novel mandrel for yarn tubeswhich is easily and rapidly loaded and unloaded.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent. from the following description and claims.

According to this invention, the. mandrel for a yarn package support comprises a member mounted for. rotation having gripping means and means for forcing said gripping means into engagement with said yarn package support, a spring for operating said forcing means, and releasable means for holding said forcing means in inoperative position. The releasable means has a trigger action. Thus the releasable, means prevents the operation of the forcing means when op'eratively engaged therewith, and, when said releasable means is released, frees the forcing means, so that the spring. can move the forcing means to urge the gripping means into engagement with the yarn package support.

More particularly, the mandrelof this invention comprises a barrel mounted for free rotation on an arbor. The barrel is provided with a skirt for engaging an end of the yarn tube as the tube is slipped over the mandrel; and with a sleeve, having an expansible portion mounted around the barrel. One end of the sleeve is. fixed to the barrel, while the other, expansible, end of the sleeve is composed of a plurality of fingers'provided with roughened outer surfaces and with inwardly directed flanges. These flanges are adapted to be engaged by a cam sur- V of the button.

2,733,873 Patented Feb. 7, 1956 2,. face of a cap slidably mounted on the barrel. A spring, also mounted on the barrel, pushes the cap in a direction to cause the cam surface to move the flanges outwardly, thus expanding the sleeve and forcing the roughened surfaces of the fingers of the sleeve into gripping engagement with an inner surface of the yarn tube.

When no yarn tube is mounted on the mandrel, the cap is normally maintained in a position in which it is prevented from moving in the direction to expand the sleeve. The cap is locked in this inoperative position by a movable detent which is maintained in looking position by a holding means. This holding means may be moved to allow the detent to be released from its locking position, thereby permitting the spring to push the cap in the direction to expand the sleeve. The holding means is mounted in such a manner that this detentreleasing movement is in the same direction as the movement of the yarn tube when the tube is being slipped over the mandrel, so that one continuous motion of the tube in the "hand of an operator is sufiicient to slip the tube over the mandrel and to move the holding means, thus causing the tube to be gripped firmly on the mandrel.

The cap is generally mounted to project beyond the free end of the mounted yarn tube, that is, beyond the gripped end of the tube. Operatively connected to the cap, for operating on the detent, is a restoring means for returning the detent to its locking position when the cap is moved manually against the action of its spring to its inoperative position. Thus, removal of a fully wound tube from the mandrel requires only a simple continuous motion, of the hand of the operator. The hand of the operator, in approaching the free end of the tube, engages and pushes the cap inwardly to its inoperative position, thus releasing the tube from the mandrel, and then grasps the tube at its free. end and slides the tube off the mandrel.

The cap of the mandrel of this invention is hollowed to receive a ball retaining sleeve and a spring-pressed, cup=shaped push button. The ball retaining sleeve has an aperture adapted to receive a detent ball whose diameter is greater than the thickness of the sleeve, so that the ball projects from one or both sides of the sleeve, Within this sleeve is mounted a grooved post which is attached to the barrel of the mandrel. The groove of this post is adapted to receive a projecting portion of the ball so as to lock the cap to the barrel in the inoperative position. The groove of the post has a tapered shoulder adapted to force the ball out of the groove when there is movement of the ball relative to post. To retain the ball in the groove of the post, the spring-pressed, cup-shaped push button is provided witha rim adapted to engage the ball. The button is also provided with a groove spaced from its rim and adapted'to receive part of the ball. When it is desired to release the cap from its inoperative position the button is pushed, against the force of its spring, intoja position when the ball can be received in the groove of the button, thereby permitting the ball to leave the groove of 'the post and unlocking the cap from the barrel. As stated, the cap, when released, is moved by its spring to its operative or expanding position in which it expands the expansible sleeve into engagement with the yarn tube. When the cap is in this expanding position the tip of the grooved post engages the ball and thereby retains the ball in the groove When the cap is moved manually, back to its inoperative position, during the doffing or unloading of the yarn tube, the ball retaining sleeve carries the ball to a, position where the ball can be received in the groove of the post, thus allowing the ball to leave the groove of the button. When this happens, the spring of the push button urges said button to a position where its rim once more engages the ball, and the cap is retained in inoperative position.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates certain preferred embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, illustrating the position of the parts of the mandrel before the yarn tube is loaded thereon, and

Fig. 2 is an elevational view, partly in section, illustrating the position of the parts of the mandrel when the yarn tube is loaded thereon.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in both views of the drawing.

In the drawing reference numeral indicates generally a rotatable mandrel adapted to support a cylindrical tube 11, shown in dotted lines, on which yarn is to be wound. In order to place the tube 11 on the mandrel 10 the tube is slipped over the mandrel from right to left, as shown in the drawing. The mandrel 10 comprises a barrel 12 supported for free rotation on an arbor 13 by any suitable means such as ball bearings 14 and 16 mounted near opposite ends of said barrel. The barrel 12 is provided with a skirt 17 having a tapered outer surface 18 adapted to be engaged by one end of the tube 11, the tapered outer surface 18 being provided with a circumferential flange 19 for limiting the horizontal movement of the tube. The inner surface of the skirt 17 is adapted to be engaged by a suitable brake (not shown) for use when it is desired to stop the rotation of the barrel 12. The skirt 17 is also adapted to support one end 21 of an expansible sleeve 22, which may be fixed to said skirt by any suitable means, such as screws 23. At its other end 24 the expansible sleeve 22 is provided with longitudinal, circumferentially spaced slits 26 which divide this end of the sleeve into a plurality of resilient fingers 27 having knurled portions and inwardly directed flanges 29. The knurled portions 28 are adapted to be pressed into engagement with the inner surface of the tube 11 by the action of a cam surface 31 which engages the flanges 29. The cam surface 31 is located on the outside of an annular projection 32 on a cap 33, which projection is slidably mounted on the surface of the barrel 12, particularly over the head 34of the barrel 12. A helical spring 36, encircling the barrel 12 and located between a shoulder 37 on said barrel and the end of projection 32, urges the cap 33 to the right. If the cap 33 is allowed to move to the right, in response to the urging of spring 36, its cam surface 31 will move fingers 27 outwardly thus forcing the knurled surfaces 28 into engagement with the tube 11. An abutment 38 adjacent the cam surface 31 serves to limit the expanding movement of the cap 33.

Cap 33 is provided with a head 39 having a central aperture 40 adapted to receive a flanged sleeve 41'which is retained in said head 39 by any suitable means, such as a snap ring 42 seated in a groove 43 in said head. The sleeve 41 has a hole 44 for the reception of a detent ball 46, whose diameter is greater than the thickness of said sleeve. This detent ball 46 is adapted to lock the cap 33 to the barrel 12 by engaging in a circumferential groove 47 of a flanged post 48 which is adapted to be received within the sleeve 41 and is secured to the head 34 of the barrel 12 by any suitable means, such as a snap ring 49 engaging the flanged portion of the post 48 and seated in a groove 51 in the head of the barrel. The position of the ball 46 is controlled by a cup-shaped button 52, fitting over the sleeve 41 and mounted for sliding movement within the central aperture 40 of cap 33. Button 52 is normally urged to the right into engagement with an abutment 53 on said cap by means of an expansible spring 54 mounted within a bore 55 in the tip 56 of the post 48 and engaging the base of said button. The button 52 is provided with a rim 57 adapted to engage the top of the ball 46 and to maintain said ball in the groove 47 of the post 48, as shown in Fig. 1. Spaced to the right of the rim 57 is a groove 58 on the inner side of the button 52. This groove 58 is adapted to receive the ball 46 and is of such dimensions that when the ball is within said groove 58 it is completely out of the groove 47 of the post 48. The latter groove 47 is provided with tapered shoulders 59 and 61 so that if the ball 46 is urged either to the right or to the left by movement of the sleeve 41 these shoulders 59 and 61 will tend to urge the ball out of said groove 47. The groove 58 on the button 52 is provided with a similar tapered shoulder 62 on the side of the groove nearer the rim 57.

When the parts are in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 the ball 46 is urged to the right by the force of the spring 36 acting on the cap 33 and, through the cap, on ball-retaining sleeve 41. In this position the ball 46 is pressed against the shoulder '59 of the groove 47 and thereby tends to leave said groove 47, but is prevented from leaving said groove only by the engagement of rim 57 with said ball. When it is desired to place the tube 11 on the mandrel 10, the operator slides the tube over the mandrel from right to left until the end of the tube engages the tapered surface 18 extending from barrel 12 and then pushes the button 52 to the left, thus moving groove 58 to a position over the ball 46. The ball 46 is then free to leave the groove 47 of the post 48, in response to the action of spring 36, since rim 57 no longer engages said ball. Thus the ball 46, ball-retaining sleeve 41 and the cap 33 are freed for movement to the right in response to the action of the spring 36. Movement of cap 33 to the right effects movement of the cam surface 31 relative to flanges 29 thus forcing the knurled surfaces 28 of the expansible sleeve 21 outwardly into engagement with the inner surface of the tube 11 so that the tube is gripped firmly. The parts are now in the position shown in Fig. 2 with the button 52 being held in a depressed position with respect to the cap 33 due to the fact that ball 46 prevents shoulder 62 of the button from moving to the right. However, spring 54 of the button 52 is still in a partly compressed condition and presses shoulder 62 to the right against the ball 46. This pressure urges the ball 46 out of groove 58 of the button 52. However, ball 46 is prevented from leaving groove 58 by-the engagement of said ball with tip 56 of post 48.

When it is desired to remove the tube from the man drel, the operator first stops the rotation of the tube by engaging a suitable brake (not shown) with the inner surface of the skirt 18 of sleeve 17, andthen presses the cap 33 to the left thus moving the ball 46 to a position over the groove 47 of the post 48. The ball 46 is then free to move out of the groove 58 of the button. 52 in response to the action of spring 54, and the parts move to the position shown in Fig. 1.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is given merely by way of illustration and that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a mandrel for a tubular yarn package support, a barrel mounted for rotation about the axis of an arbor, an expansible sleeve around said barrel and having one end fixed to said barrel, a cap coaxial with said barrel and slidably mounted thereon, said cap having a cam surface for expanding the other end of said sleeve into engagement with an inner surface of said support, spring means urging said cap axially in a direction to expand said sleeve, a detent having a locking position in which it holds said cap in a position inoperative to expand said sleeve, means for holding said detent in said locking position, said holding means being movable axially to a position permitting said detent to move out'of said locking position and thereby permitting said cap to move in a direction to expand said sleeve, and axially movable means carried by said cap for movement therewith and operatively engaging said detent for restoring said detent to said locking position on movement of said cap in a direction opposite to the urging of said spring means.

2. In a mandrel for a tubular yarn package support, a barrel mounted for rotation about the axis of an arbor, an expansible sleeve around said barrel and having one end fixed to said barrel, a cap coaxial with said barrel and slidably mounted thereon, said cap having a cam surface for expanding the other end of said sleeve into engagement with an inner surface of said support, spring means urging said cap axially in a direction to expand said sleeve, a detent having a locking position in which it holds said cap in a position inoperative to expand said sleeve, means operatively connected with said cap, for holding said detent in said locking position, said holding means being movable axially to a position permitting said detent to move out of said locking position and thereby permitting said cap to move in a direction to expand said sleeve, and axially movable means carried by said cap for movement therewith and operatively engaging said detent for restoring said detent to said locking position on movement of said cap in a direction opposite to the unging of said spring means.

3. In a mandrel for a tubular yarn package support, a barrel mounted for rotation about the axis'of an arbor, an expansible sleeve around said barrel and having one end fixed to said barrel, a cap coaxial with said barrel and slidably mounted thereon, said cap having a cam surface for expanding the other end of said sleeve into engagement with an inner surface of said support, spring means urging said cap axially in a direction to expand said sleeve, a detent having a locking position in which it holds said cap in a position inoperative to expand said sleeve, a spring pressed push button in said cap for holding said detent in said locking position, said button being movable axially to a position permitting said detent to move out of said locking position and thereby permitting said cap to move in a direction to expand said sleeve, and axially movable means carried by said cap for movement therewith and operatively engaging said detent for restoring said detent to said locking position on movement of said cap in a direction opposite to the urging of said spring means.

4. In a mandrel for a tubular yarn package support, a barrel mounted for rotation about the axis of an arbor, a tapered skirt on said barrel adapted to engage one end of said support, an expansible sleeve around said barrel and having one end fixed to said barrel adjacent said skirt, a cap coaxial with said barrel and slidably mounted thereon, said cap having a cam surface for expanding the other end of said sleeve into engagement with an inner surface of said support, spring means urging said cap axially in a direction to expand said expansible sleeve, a ball retaining sleeve carried by said cap, a detent ball in said sleeve and projecting from the inside and outside of said sleeve, a post within said ball-retaining sleeve, said post being connected with said barrel and having a groove adapted to receive a portion of said ball whereby to lock said cap to said barrel in a position inoperative to expand said expansible sleeve, said groove having a shoulder adapted to force said ball out of said groove when there is relative movement between said ball and said post, a push button within said cap and having a rim adapted to fit over said ball retaining sleeve to retain said ball in the groove of said pin, a spring for said push button, said button having a groove spaced from said rim and adapted to receive part of said ball when said button is pushed against its spring, whereby to permit said ball to leave the groove of said post and permit said cap to move to its operative position to expand said expansible sleeve, said post having a tip adapted to engage said ball to retain said ball in the groove of said push button when said cap is in its operative position, said ball retaining sleeve being adapted to move said ball back into the groove of said post when said cap is moved back to its inoperative position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,964,585 Larsen June 26, 1934 2,529,185 Proctor Nov. 7, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 330,719 Great Britain June 19, 1930 

